Amid the chaos of the Israel-Hamas war, there’s a deeper conflict playing out beneath the surface. This isn’t just about borders or settlements, it’s about survival. The survival of the Jewish people’s right to exist as a nation in their ancestral homeland.
Visegrad24 spoke with Einat Wilf, a former Israeli Knesset member and one of the clearest voices on this issue. Her view is stark but important: the Gaza conflict isn’t really a war. It’s the latest chapter in a century-long effort to prevent a Jewish state from existing anywhere between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
It's Not About Land Alone
Wilf explains that the real tragedy for Palestinians isn’t just that they lack a state, it’s why they’ve never accepted one. “Every time the Palestinians were offered their own state, they rejected it,” she says. From 1937 to 2008, every chance they had to build a state alongside Israel, they chose war instead.
This is a reality many in the West struggle to face. We’re told the Palestinian cause is about justice, rights, and sovereignty. But Wilf, with over 20 years of experience, has found only three Palestinians willing to publicly accept Israel’s right to exist alongside a Palestinian state.
That’s because Palestinian identity in the 20th century wasn’t primarily about land or governance. It was centered on resisting Jewish sovereignty. As Wilf puts it, “Palestine became the new red flag of Utopia”, a symbol adopted by movements worldwide, from climate activism to anti-capitalism and anti-colonialism. And in that narrative, Israel became the scapegoat for every grievance.
The Hijacking of a Name
Wilf explains that the word “Palestine” has a complicated history. It was never originally the name of a distinct people until after the Jewish people re-established their state. The term was created by the Romans during their rule, but the Jewish people have always had a historical connection to the land. When Israel rejected the colonial-era name and reclaimed its ancient identity, the Arabs living there began using “Palestine” not as a natural national identity, but as a political tool to challenge and deny the legitimacy of the Jewish state.
Wilf says this is the core of the conflict: the Jewish people want a state, while many Palestinians want no Jewish state at all. Every war, rocket attack, and loss of life comes from this deep division.
Still, Wilf is hopeful. She sees the Abraham Accords as a major step forward. Arab countries that have achieved success and pride no longer need to define themselves by opposing Israel. “Anti-Zionism is a sign of failing societies,” she says. That’s why countries like the UAE can now proudly say, “We are Arabs, we are Muslims, and we support Israel.”
For Palestinians, the situation is harder. Their identity is so closely tied to opposing Zionism that peaceful coexistence would mean more than just political compromise, it would require rethinking who they are. Until that happens, the conflict will continue.
Old Hatreds, New Forms
Wilf warns of a dangerous evolution of anti-Semitism. What was once based on biology or religion has now taken on an ideological form. Zionism is portrayed as the ultimate evil framed as colonialism, white supremacy, and apartheid. In anti-Israel protests, the Star of David is often treated with contempt, equated with garbage. Israel is seen as the final obstacle to a perfect world.
Wilf explains this is nothing new. Every utopian movement needs a scapegoat, and today, that scapegoat is the collective Jew, symbolized by Israel.
The regimes fueling this ideology are far from innocent. Wilf compares Iran’s influence to that of the USSR, using the Palestinian cause to spread hatred throughout the Muslim world. She calls out Qatar bluntly as "a terrorist group with a bank account," exporting anti-Semitism through media outlets like Al Jazeera.
Still, Wilf believes their time will end. Like the Nazis, pan-Arabists, and Soviets before them, their hatred will ultimately destroy them. The real danger lies in how much damage they inflict before that happens.
The West and Anti-Zionism
Across Western capitals, from London to Washington, anti-Zionism has gained disturbing mainstream respectability. Wilf warns this trajectory leads to one inevitable outcome: the erosion of Jewish life in these societies not necessarily through violence, but through social hostility and exclusion.
The question isn’t just what happens in Gaza tomorrow. It’s also what happens within our universities, parliaments, and media. Will we allow an ancient hatred to hide behind the guise of social justice?
The answer will shape not only the future of Israel but the moral future of the West itself.
